Catherine Stine's IDEA CITY

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Today is Indie Life, a feature devised by the lovely Indelible authors. It takes place the second Wednesday of each month, where they invite fellow authors to chat about the indie writing life.

In prepping for the February launch of my new adult romance novella, Model Position, I've been thinking about effective ways to get the word out to readers. Methods of the day change so fast it's dizzying. Reminds me of how Apple and other digital companies are always launching upgrades. But one must keep up; it's an industry essential, indie or not. I think a blog tour is still advisable, or at least a cover reveal and book blitz. Reviews matter, and it's smart to get arcs out to people who are eager to read and review. I've done Netgalley with good results. Another reader site is Wattpad. I have yet to do a Facebook event, which I will do for Model Position. I have yet to put together a street team--intimidating without a zillion hours a day to devote to it. I'm thinking of hiring an intern... maybe in the new year? Those who have done street teams, how has it gone? I know two authors who hired publicists. I'd have to barter the cost because it's expensive! Though one colleague got TV interviews and the other landed an interview in the Atlantic. Not too shabby! I'll be exploring Yahoo chats and similar venues for my new novella, trying to reach the readers of my genre. What have you all found most effective to get the word out?

Book 1 of the Jewels of Chandra series

Another creative indie move is to join up with a group of like-minded authors to cross promote. That's how the Indelibles formed. I joined Untethered Realms, an author group who writes speculative fiction. On that note, I'd like to mention the launch of Untethered Realmer, River Fairchild's new novel, Diamonds and Dust!

Magic is real. So is
betrayal.

Two heirs. A Kingdom of
dust on a troubled world. One might resurrect it. One might destroy it all. Archaeologist David
Alexander investigates the cave where his father disappeared and hurtles into
another world, one filled with magic and bizarre creatures. The mad ravings in
his father's journals of icemen and dragons may not be fantasies after all.

Convinced his father may
still be alive, David begins a treacherous journey to find him and discover a
way home. Along the way, he encounters a few unlikely friends. A Dreean
warrior, a beautiful thief and a satyr join him as he searches. David's arrival into
this new world sets off an explosive chain reaction of events. Faced with
powerful adversaries and few clues, he may not get the chance to rescue his
father before disaster strikes, condemning both of them to death. Or worse.

River Fairchild brandishes a dry
sense of humor, and is owned by several cats. Lives in a fantasy world. A fabricator
of magic. Makes stuff up and spins tales about it. Believes in Faerie crossings
and never stays in one place for very long. Speculative Fiction wordsmith.
The secret to her stories? Spread lies, blend in truths, add a pinch of snark
and a dash of tears. Escape into her world. She left the porch light on so you
can find your way down the rabbit hole. Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon /

I wish I had some great ideas to share about promo, but I'm totally lousy at it. I wish I had more money to throw at it, especially to hire someone to help out, but such is not the case. I can dream though :)

I think the marketing is what drove me away from writing. Being Indie is hard and marketing can consume all of your writing time if, like me, you have a day job.I remember really liking the Goodreads giveaway though. That seemed to generate a lot of interest - particularly among teens who want to win a free book.

Good ideas, thanks! I did a Twitter chat on the release day, which was free and fun. Three blogs have hosted me. I am starting to get reviews, and started a Goodreads giveaway and ad. But it's too early to know what really works.

Congrats, River! You're doing great getting the word out and generating buzz!

Catherine, marketing is an enigma. The only thing I've heard that works is setting your price to $.99 and getting it on Bookbub or one of those big newsletters that tells people about free or discounted books. With tour packages, you sometimes end up with little exposure (due to half the blogs being tiny), but you get mostly 5-star reviews out of it from the participants. Netgalley and GR giveaways are a slippery slope. Yes, your book is seen/read by a LOT of people, but they're people just looking for free stuff and not ones who necessarily love your genre or your blurb. You can end up with a bunch of low-star reviews from that. Good luck - and I can't wait to feature your book on my blog in February for Romance Month!

Aww, thanks, Lexa! Yes, marketing IS an enigma, that's for sure. I have yet to do a Twitter chat, but I do Tweet and RT for people. Kelly, I agree, asking people to help all the time feels a bit icky, though we all DO need help, and I know I'm glad to help other authors. It's a fine balance.

I'll let you know when I figure it out... I think all exposure is good. Maybe we should come up with a scandal... we'll post about how we hate each other until we go viral. lol Just teasing. It was something we discussed at a meeting of local writers yesterday, a staged feud.

I started reading Let's Get Visible by David Gaughran who has some suggestions about positioning with categories and key words. A group of other sci-fi writers kindly suggested some key words I was missing. So hopefully now I'm finding new audience.

I think, keep writing great books, work at perfecting positioning [key words & categories], cover, title and blurb. I think things will happen at their own pace no matter what we do. Hugh Howey recommends giving away a lot of books. Yup. That's the only way I gained a toehold.

Great ideas here. I need to work more on my marketing skills. Like Kelly, I feel icky asking people to do stuff for me. But I suppose I can do a cover reveal with a blurb ... that sounds simple yet direct (and is probably one of the more effective ways of getting people to notice your book). Love the cover of 'Diamonds and Dust' here!

I have an entire spreadsheet of things we're trying to see what works best. The blog tour was a crazy success, for permanent visibility on the web, and as far as giving away copies and getting the word out. I'm a HUGE fan of giving away free books. Until you've got a steady audience, there isn't anything better than getting your work in front of as many people as possible. That said, each giveaway should be balanced with sales... hopefully. ;)

DORIANNA WINS BEST HORROR BOOK in the TKH Awards!

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The first two books in Kitsy Clare’s new adult Art of Love romance series are together in this boxed set paperback! Readers come along on Sienna Karr’s exhilarating ride as she juggles friends, relationships and a fledgling art career in New York City.

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Untethered Realms, speculative fiction authors

About Me

I write bestselling fantasy & contemporary novels as Catherine Stine and romance as Kitsy Clare.
Head over to my website at http://www.catherinestine.com for info on my author events and to subscribe to my newsletter.
I hang out in NYC, Philly and in the Catskills. I've been known to paint a picture or two. Obsessed with witch tales, bad TV and travel to offbeat places.